http://www.umtri.umich.edu/ News from the University of Michigan Transportation Research Institute en-us 2009, The University of Michigan umtri@umich.edu (UMTRI Editor) umtri@umich.edu (UMTRI Rss) Thu, 04 Nov 2004 08:00:00 EST Fri, 30 Oct 2009 09:58:08 -0400 Saturday Sunday 0 1 2 3 4 5 19 20 21 22 23 http://www.umtri.umich.edu/news.php?id=2424 The Center for Injury Prevention among Youth (CIPY) and the Injury Research Center will host a seminar on "Injuries in the Developing World: A Challenge for Health Systems" on Wednesday, November 4 at 3 p.m. The seminar will be given by Adnan A. Hyder, MD, MPH, PhD, Associate Professor of Health Systems, and Director of the International Injury Research Unit, Department of International Health, at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. Dr. Hyder has been working on injury prevention and control in developing countries, especially Asia, the Middle East and Africa, for over 15 years and has published widely in the international literature. He is well known for his work on the burden of disease and injury measures, for developing the healthy life year indicator, and for building on the health systems approach to injury prevention and control in developing countries. The seminar will take place in room 1690 (Lane Auditorium), School of Public Health 1. Light refreshments will be provided. For more information, visit the CIPY website. http://www.umtri.umich.edu/news.php?id=2422 SMART's Sustainable Urban Mobility and Accessibility Summit is back by popular demand. Moving Minds: The Next Transportation Infrastructure will take place November 9-12, 2009 at the University of Michigan. The summit will bring researchers together with business leaders, entrepreneurs, practitioners, and policy makers from around the world to accelerate the implementation of sustainable urban transportation and accessibility (locally and globally) and the development of New Mobility business and employment opportunities. For more information or to register, visit SMART Summit 2009. http://www.umtri.umich.edu/news.php?id=2417 Text messaging while driving and manually dialing a cell phone are among the riskiest forms of driver distraction. These behaviors have been related to increased crash risk, according to UMTRI Research Scientist David W. Eby, but they're not the only culprits. When it comes to technology, using an iPod, manipulating a DVD player, or programming a navigational device while driving can also cause problems. "Any technology that engages a driver's attention can be distracting," says Eby. Eby made his comments during a recent summit on distracted driving, sponsored by the U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT). The summit brought together experts from around the nation to discuss ways to combat distracted driving and its consequences. During a panel session focusing on technology, Eby noted that distracted driving is becoming an increasingly important societal issue because of four primary factors. First, the use of technology in vehicles is increasing. According to Eby, cell phone use by drivers has doubled between the years of 2000 and 2005. He noted that while research on the distracting effects of some technologies is still unclear, there is good evidence that use of cell phones of any type increase crash risk by a factor of four to nine. Second, roadways are becoming more congested, making the task of driving more difficult. The third factor, Eby noted, is that young drivers, who often have fewer years of driving experience, are the biggest users of "nomadic devices" or technologies that are brought into a vehicle, such as cell phones and iPods. Finally, the U.S. population is aging, with age-related medical conditions potentially exacerbating the distracting effects of technology. But while some technologies can cause distraction, other technologies can mitigate distraction. Eby highlighted several technological advancements currently in development. These include vehicle systems that can help manage distractions by monitoring "driver workload" and blocking incoming cellular calls at critical moments. Eby also mentioned development of crash warning systems that can help mitigate the outcomes of distraction. He noted current efforts to integrate these systems via the ongoing Integrated Vehicle Based Safety System (IVBSS) project led by UMTRI and partners, sponsored by USDOT. To read Eby's presentation, visit the M-CASTL website. To see video of the summit presentations, see distracted driving summit. http://www.umtri.umich.edu/news.php?id=2418 A seminar on "Injury and Violence Implications of Teenage Employment in the U.S." will take place on Wednesday, October 21 at 3 p.m. in room 1690 (Lane Auditorium), School of Public Health 1. The seminar will be given by Carol Runyan, MPH, Ph.D., director, UNC Injury Prevention Research Center, and professor, Health Behavior and Health Education, University of North Carolina School of Public Health. The seminar is sponsored by the Center for Injury Prevention among Youth (CIPY) and the Injury Research Center. For more information, visit the CIPY website. http://www.umtri.umich.edu/news.php?id=2419 UMTRI's Bruce Belzowski, assistant research scientist in the Automotive Analysis Division, comments on Toyota's plan to introduce plug-in versions of the Prius in "Toyota Seeks a Short-Range Plug-In Hybrid for the Long Haul" in the October 16th issue of The New York Times. Read full article. http://www.umtri.umich.edu/news.php?id=2420 UMTRI's Bruce Belzowski, assistant research scientist in the Automotive Analysis Division, comments on alternative fuel technologies in The Detroit News. Read the full article. http://www.umtri.umich.edu/news.php?id=2415 UMTRI research associate professor Matt Reed, who holds a joint appointment in U-M's Industrial and Operations Engineering Department, has been elected as a Fellow of the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) International. The distinction recognizes Matt for his outstanding accomplishments to industry practices in automotive ergonomics and safety. Matt will be honored along with 23 newly elected SAE Fellows during the SAE 2010 World Congress in Detroit, Michigan at the SAE Fellow dinner and reception on April 12 and the SAE 2010 awards ceremony on April 13. Please join us in congratulating Matt on this well deserved award. http://www.umtri.umich.edu/news.php?id=2416 Francois Dion, assistant research scientist and lead researcher in UMTRI's Transportation Systems Group, will present "Evaluation of Generation and Usability of IntelliDrive Probe Vehicle Data" on Wednesday, October 14 at 4:10 p.m. The presentation will take place in room 1680 of the Industrial and Operations Engineering (IOE) building on U-M's north campus. IntelliDrive applications attempt to improve the mobility and safety of urban and rural travel, as well as the operations of transportation networks, by enabling vehicles to communicate wirelessly with roadside infrastructure and other vehicles. One of the important underlying capabilities of the proposed IntelliDrive system is the ability to collect and aggregate operational data from equipped vehicles traveling on roadways. This data is expected to provide a rich database from which vehicle movements and traffic flow behavior could be observed. Dion's presentation will outline the results of various research projects being conducted at UMTRI to assess the quality and usability of traffic data that would be collected under currently recommended system architecture and data generation policies. The presentation is part of the IOE 899 seminar series. For more information, visit the IOE website. http://www.umtri.umich.edu/news.php?id=2413 The Business of Plugging In, sponsored by DTE Energy, General Motors, and the University of Michigan, was held October 19-21, 2009 in Detroit, Michigan. The conference explored viable solutions to policies that will enable the commercial introduction of plug-in electric vehicles (PEVs) and economic models for success. On October 20, the conference focused on "The Electrification of the Vehicle: Supporting a National Strategy," which examined how policy and business strategies can combine to speed up the introduction and acceptance of PEVs. The following day, the program addressed the marketing challenge of PEVs with the theme "When We Build It... Will they Come?" In addition to the conference sessions, an exposition showcased the latest innovations in PEVs, charging infrastructure, green power generation, Smart Grid applications, and other advanced technologies. For more information see The Business of Plugging In. http://www.umtri.umich.edu/news.php?id=2421 UMTRI's Bruce Belzowski, assistant research scientist in the Automotive Analysis Division, comments on the Cash for Clunkers program in RBC Daily. http://www.umtri.umich.edu/news.php?id=2411 David W. Eby, UMTRI research associate professor and head of the Social and Behavioral Analysis Division, is one of many experts speaking in a Distracted Driving Summit taking place in Washington, D.C. on September 30 and October 1. The summit addresses the dangers of text-messaging and other distractions behind the wheel. More than 200 safety experts, researchers, elected officials and members of the public will gather to share their experiences, provide feedback and develop recommendations for reducing the growing safety risk that distracted driving is imposing on the nation's roads. The summit takes place September 30 from 8:30 a.m.-5 p.m EDT, and October 1 from 7:30 a.m.-1:15 p.m. EDT. View the live webcast. http://www.umtri.umich.edu/news.php?id=2399 The goal of CIPY is to build on existing strengths at U-M to conduct research and to train researchers and practitioners to reduce injuries and fatalities among youth. A concurrent goal is to reduce the economic cost associated with those injuries. Jean Thatcher Shope, UMTRI associate director, serves as director of CIPY. "We have U-M faculty across several academic units who are engaged in research related to youth injury prevention," said Shope. "CIPY encourages interdisciplinary collaboration among these researchers and helps build capacity for training and education." Research projects by CIPY faculty members address a number of topics related to understanding and preventing substance abuse among youth and promoting teen driver safety. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, motor vehicle injuries are the leading cause of death among U.S. children and teens. Among other threats to youth are child maltreatment, playground injuries, poisonings, residential fire-related injuries, suicide, traumatic brain injury, water hazards, and youth violence. In addition to David Sleet's presentation, CIPY will address a variety of injury prevention topics through its seminar series during the 2009-2010 academic year. All seminars will be held from 3-5 p.m. at the U-M School of Public Health, Lane Auditorium (1690), SPH 1. Upcoming seminars, listed below, are free and open to the public. October 21, 2009 Title: Injury and Violence Implications of Teenage Employment in the U.S. Speaker: Carol Runyan, MPH, PhD, Director, UNC Injury Prevention Research Center, and Professor, Health Behavior and Health Education, University of North Carolina School of Public Health. November 4, 2009 Title: Injuries in the Developing World: A Challenge for Health Systems Speaker: Adnan A. Hyder, MD, PhD, Associate Professor of International Health, and Director, International Injury Research Unit at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. December 2, 2009 Title: Pediatric Injury Prevention Speaker: Andrea C. Gielen, ScD, Professor of Health, Behavior, and Society, and Director, Johns Hopkins Center for Injury Research and Policy, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. For more information about the Center or upcoming seminars, please visit the CIPY website. Photo: Jean Shope and David Sleet at the CIPY launch event. Photo credit: Arushi Baluja http://www.umtri.umich.edu/news.php?id=2400 Professor Lily Elefteriadou, Ph.D., Director of the Transportation Research Center at the University of Florida, will present "Ramp Metering Based on the Probability of Freeway Breakdown" on Thursday, October 1, from noon-1 p.m. in UMTRI's McCormick Conference Room. http://www.umtri.umich.edu/news.php?id=2397 Despite the turmoil in the global auto industry during the past year, efforts to transform information technology at manufacturers and suppliers have continued unabated. A daylong campus conference "The Business of IT: Transforming the Organization and the Vehicle" is planned for 9 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Tuesday, September 22. It will assess the current state of IT within the auto industry, gauge where it is heading in the near future, and identify challenges and opportunities facing IT and auto companies. To take place at the Michigan League's Hussey Room, the event is the first of a five-part automotive-conference series presented by UMTRI's Automotive Analysis Division through July 2010. The conference's corporate sponsors are Hewlett-Packard Corp and HCL Technologies. "This series of conferences fulfills a university goal of creating links between the university and industry," says series organizer Bruce Belzowski, assistant research scientist at UMTRI. "We see this as a major opportunity to learn what auto industry managers are thinking about the future of the industry." The conference's first theme, "Transforming and Globalizing the Organization," will feature speakers Servio Araujo of Ford Motor Co., Paul Skornia of Lear Corp., Ram Prabhakar of EDS/HP Corp., Gahl Berkooz of Ford Motor Co., Suneel Sekhri of HCL Technologies and Ed Allen of Oracle Corp. The second theme, "Transforming the Vehicle," includes speakers Susan Zielinski of UMTRI's Sustainable Mobility and Accessibility Research and Transformation project, UMTRI's Dave LeBlanc and David Berdish of Ford Motor Co. U-M faculty, staff and students can register for free online by visiting the Automotive Analysis Division web page or contacting UMTRI's Lee Burge at 734-936-2723 or leeburge@umich.edu http://www.umtri.umich.edu/news.php?id=2395 The latest issue of UMTRI Research Review is now available. Newsletter highlights include the following articles: Roadside Alligators and Retread Tires UMTRI researchers Oliver Page and John Woodrooffe investigate the causes of commercial truck tire debris on the nation's highways. The study reveals important information about retread tires and sheds light on why tire maintenance and proper inflation are critical for all vehicles. Side-Impact Test Facility Engineers in UMTRI's Biosciences Division fine-tune an innovative crash-test facility expected to yield important information needed to improve injury protection in side-impact crashes. Fall Driving More Hazardous than Summer or Winter Driving A study by UMTRI researcher Michael Sivak compares fatality crash rates by season, with surprising results. U-M SMART Project Comes to UMTRI SMART Managing Director Susan Zielinski continues her groundbreaking work in sustainable transportation with UMTRI as the administrative home base. Also in this issue are highlights from UMTRI's international truck conference and powertrain conference, recent UMTRI publications, and upcoming events. To read the current issue, see UMTRI Research Review To read previous issues, see UMTRI Research Review Archive http://www.umtri.umich.edu/news.php?id=2393 UMTRI's Sustainable Worldwide Transportation program has just released the report The Effect of the "Cash for Clunkers" Program on the Overall Fuel Economy of Purchased New Vehicles, by Human Factors Division head Michael Sivak and researcher Brandon Schoettle. The study evaluated the effects of the U.S vehicle-scrappage program ("Cash for Clunkers") on the average fuel economy of new vehicles purchased in July and August 2009. The predicted, baseline fuel economy, without the existence of the program, was derived using a model obtained from a regression analysis performed on the data from October 2007 through June 2009. The regression used the unemployment rate and the price of gasoline as the predictors of the fuel economy. The results indicate that the program improved the average fuel economy of all vehicles purchased by 0.6 mpg in July 2009 and 0.7 mpg in August 2009. Download the full report here. http://www.umtri.umich.edu/news.php?id=2389 http://www.umtri.umich.edu/news.php?id=2390 http://www.umtri.umich.edu/news.php?id=2392 http://www.umtri.umich.edu/news.php?id=2388 Through the support of Sustainable Worldwide Transportation, UMTRI has recently published three studies on road-safety challenges and opportunities in China, India, and Brazil. These studies were performed in collaboration with top experts in the respective countries. The abstracts of the studies (in English, Chinese, and Japanese) are available here. For availability of the full reports, please contact Michael Sivak (sivak@umich.edu).